"There you go, sneering again. You women can't understand a fellow. Here am I worried to death for money, and have to drudge as old Van Heldre's clerk." "Worried for money, Harry? What nonsense!" "I am. You don't know. I say, Lou dear." "Now, Harry! you will be so late." "I won't go at all if you don't listen to me. Look here; I want fifty pounds." "What for?" "Never mind. Will you lend it to me?" "But what can you want with fifty pounds, Harry? You're not in debt?" "You've got some saved up. Now, lend it to me, there's a good girl; I'll pay you again, honour bright." "Harry, I've lent you money till I'm tired of lending, and you never do pay me back." "But I will this time." Louise shook her head. "What, you don't believe me?" "I believe you would pay me again if you had the money; but if I lent it you would spend it, and be as poor as ever in a month." "Not this time, Lou. Lend it to me." She shook her head. "Then hang me if I don't go and ask Duncan Leslie." "Harry! No; you would not degrade yourself to that." "Will you lend it?" "No." "Then I will ask him. The poor fool will think it will please you, and lend it directly. I'll make it a hundred whilst I'm about it." "Harry!" "Too late now," he cried, and he hurried away. "Oh!" ejaculated Louise, as she stood gazing after him with her cheeks burning. "No," she said, after a pause; "it was only a threat; he would not dare." "Harry gone to his office?" said Vine, entering the room. "Yes, dear." "Mr Pradelle gone too?" "Yes, dear; fishing, I think." "Hum. Makes this house quite his home." "Yes, papa; and do you think we are doing right?" "Eh?" said Vine sharply, as he dragged his mind back from where it had gone under a tide-covered rock. "Oh, I see, about having that young man here. Well, Louie, it's like this: I don't want to draw the rein too tightly. Harry is at work now, and keeping to it. Van Heldre says his conduct is very fair. Harry likes Mr Pradelle, and they are old companions, so I feel disposed to wink at the intimacy, so long as our boy keeps to his business." "Perhaps you are right, dear," said Louise. "You don't like Mr Pradelle, my dear?" "No, I do not." "No fear of his robbing me of you, eh?" "Oh, father!" "That's right; that's right; and look here, as we're talking about that little thing which makes the world go round, please understand this, and help me, my dear. There's to be no nonsense between Harry and Madelaine." "Then you don't like Madelaine?" "Eh? What? Not like her? Bless her! You've almost cause to be jealous, only you need not be, for I've room in my heart for both of you. I love her too well to let her be made uncomfortable by our family scapegrace. Dear me! I'm sure that it has." "Have you lost anything, dear?" "Yes, a glass stopper. Perhaps I left it in my room. Mustn't lose it; stoppers cost money." "And here's some money of yours, father." "Eh? Oh, that change."